Exploring Tokyo’s Unique Roasteries
Exploring Tokyo’s Unique Roasteries — A Roastery Tour of Tokyo
We visited four roastery cafés in Tokyo, each with its own charm, from a café that feels like a laboratory to one that feels like a small neighborhood antique shop. There, we asked the baristas for bean recommendations and hand-drip brewing tips.
Words & Photos Ryu Sunwoo
Ogawa Coffee Laboratory Shimokitazawa
Ogawa Coffee Laboratory Shimokitazawa
For those who want to enjoy coffee with all five senses
True to its name, this café feels like a laboratory. What makes it unique is that guests complete their own coffee. You choose a bean you like from about twenty varieties, buy it, and then brew it with any of the 40 or so pieces of equipment in the shop. The equipment is charged separately. Beyond the many drippers that are hard to find in Korea, you can brew with an AeroPress, a siphon, a Nucleus Paragon, an ibrik, and more. For anyone with a burning curiosity about coffee, it makes for a fascinating experience.
Beans: No. 12 Organic House Blend
Price: 830 yen per 100g
Blend: Honduras, Brazil, Peru, Ethiopia, Mexico
Tasting notes: Sweet aroma, milk caramel sweetness, gentle umami, the toasty richness of a croissant
Roast level: Medium
Brewing method: 18g beans, 230g water, water temperature 94°C
Double Tall Coffee Bar Shibuya Cocoti
Double Tall Coffee Bar Shibuya Cocoti
For those who believe coffee tastes best when you carry it in one hand and walk
This is the place to go if you’re looking for a coffee bar with a strong local vibe. A takeout-only shop tucked between buildings, it catches the eye with a bright yellow awning. The coffee is made with beans roasted by a roasting expert with 40 years of experience at the company’s own roastery nearby. As proof of its popularity, you’ll run into people holding Double Tall coffees all over the streets of Shibuya. The barista told me lattes are the specialty, so I ordered the coconut milk latte, and it had a fun flavor unlike anything I’ve had elsewhere. Highly recommended for those who prefer espresso drinks to filter coffee, and for anyone who wants to roam the city with a takeout cup in hand.
Beans: Premium Blend
Price: 880 yen per 100g
Blend: Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia
Tasting notes: Deep umami and bitterness, the rich depth typical of a blend
Roast level: Dark
Brewing method: 16g beans, 240ml water, water temperature 96°C, using a Hario dripper
Bookends Coffee Service
Bookends Coffee Service
For those who love vintage and fall for all things small and charming
If you smile when you stumble upon a tiny antique shop while walking down the street, you’ll surely love this café. A weathered signboard, orange-hued bulb lighting, jazz and oldies pulled one by one from a densely packed CD shelf, snug desks and chairs squeezed into a narrow interior, and posters and menus plastered on the walls all blend into an indescribable loveliness. It opened in Shimokitazawa in 2014 in partnership with LIVE COFFEE, a wholesale bean company that started in 1958 in Tsukishima (月島), Tokyo. Since then, it has held its ground as a café beloved by local residents. The Shimokitazawa Blend, which you can find only at Bookends Coffee Service, makes a fine travel souvenir too. A cup of hand-drip coffee costs 350 yen, making it a perfect choice for anyone put off by pricier coffee.
Beans: Shimokitazawa Royal Blend
Price: 1,250 yen per 200g
Blend: Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala
Tasting notes: Smoky, with the bitterness of dark chocolate
Roast level: Medium-dark
Brewing method: 19g beans, 210ml water, water temperature 92°C, using a Kalita dripper
Little Nap Coffee Roasters
Little Nap Coffee Roasters
For those who want to experience a trendy, modern roastery
This place is aimed squarely at those who chase a hip sensibility. With so few seats, it’s hard to settle in for a long stay, but it’s ideal for stopping by on a walk for a cup of coffee. A large sign hangs on the ground floor of a building with a standout tiled exterior, and everything feels stylish, from the wood-framed windows to the yellow lighting, the oldies drifting from the turntable, and the windows flung wide open on a nice day. The lineup of five beans is modest compared with other roastery cafés in Tokyo, but that focus on careful selection is surely the roastery’s own philosophy. It uses a roaster from the German company Probat, which brings out the beans’ natural acidity and flavor, and its effort to make high-quality coffee shows. Recommended for those who like an Instagrammable vibe and lattes with a touch of acidity.
Beans: Colombia Los Idolos single origin
Price: 1,700 yen per 200g
Tasting notes: Fruity acidity and sweetness, black currant, raspberry, grapefruit, and honey
Roast level: Medium-light
Brewing method: 20g beans, 250ml water, water temperature 93°C, using a Hario dripper